Axle.



No. 825,108. PATENTED JULY 3, 1906.

H. M. BUTLER. i

AXLE.v APPLIOATION FILED DBO. a. 1905.

rHE Noam: persas co wAsHmcToN. n. c,

HUGH MYDDLETON BUTLER, OF KIRKSTALL FORGE, ENGLAND.

AXLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1906.

Application filed December 8,1905. Serial No. 290,874.

Y ain, residing at Kirkstall Forge, near Leeds,

in the county of York, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Axles for Road-Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention refers to what I terml built-up metallic axles for the wheels of road-vehicles. In the specification of my Patent No. 784,383, dated March 7, 1905, I have described such an axle having a bed of H -section metal with its web vertical and its flanges horizontal, the ends of the upper flange being divided from the web and bent upward and the ends of the lower flange being similarly divided and bent downward, the bent flange ends being fixed to upwardly and downwardly extending flanges on the barrel or wheel-carrying member, while the projecting ends of the web of the bed enter recesses formed in the said wheel-carrying member.

Now the present invention refers to an improved construction of built-up axle of the class above described, but according to the present invention I construct the bed of the axle of two girders arranged with their webs vertical, while the iianges are horizontal, the said girders being placed side by side, but a little distance apart'. To each end of such a bed I attach a wheel-carrying member by forming or providing each of the said members with an inwardly-extending central vertical wing greater in depth than the depth of the girders and adapted to pass in between the ends of the said two girders, the latter being bolted or riveted through their webs to the central wing. By making the central wing of greater depth than the depth of the girder-bed the wing not only forms a means of attachment for the end of the bed, but also forms a diagonal strengthening-piece or stay, and this without weakening or interfering with the flanges of the bed, the ends'of the latter being secured to the wheel-carrying members by riveting through the webs. Moreover, I am able to provide horizontal ribs on each side of this wing to fit above and below the two girders, and I am further enabled by this construction to rivet the springs or spring-seats to this wing without weakening the girders, and, moreover, by thus forming the bed of two girders connected to the wheelcarrying members, as described, I am enabled to distance the said girders of the bed apart in between their end members, which is convenient when they are required to receive between them bolts, sockets, distancepieces, or other fixtures as, for instance, when the axles are required to be used as i steering-axles or for other purposes-which fixtures can thus be riveted or secured to the girder-webs instead Vof to their flanges.

It will be obvious that the wheel-carrying members before mentioned, which are to be attached to the ends of the bed, may consist either of barrels to receive the road-wheels or of forks or bosses for carrying the pivoted barrels for steering-wheels.

At Figures l, 2, and 3 an example of construction is shown in elevation, vertical section on the line X Y of Fig. l, and plan view, respectively, of one end of an axle constructed according to the present invention, where the bed is composed of two channelsection girders arranged with their webs side by side, but not in contact, and showing the barrel attached thereto. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a complete axle, showing the members of the bed splayed apart between the end members.

The barrel l at its inner end is provided with a flange 2 approximately at right angles to the length of the bed which is to be attached thereto, and from this flange 2 there proceeds a wing 3 of the same depth as the flange at the point where it proceeds therefrom and decreasing in depth toward its inner end.

The two channel-section girders 4 5 are made of rolled metal and are arranged back to back, with the webs vertical, but not in contact, and in assembling the parts the ends of these girders are placed with the backs of their webs in contact with opposite sides of the wing 3 and with the ends of the girders 4 5 in contact with the flange 2 of the barrel, and in this position rivets or bolts are passed through the webs of the two girders and through the centrally-located wing 3.

In the example of construction illustrated I have shown the girders as being of channel section-that is, each having a flange at the top and another flange at the bottom of the girder-web-and this is a section of girder which I have found to be well adapted for the purpose of its use; but I would have it understood that I do not limit myself to this section of girder. For instance, I may, if so desired, dispense with one of the flanges of each of the girders, or I may otherwise vary IOO IIO

the section or arrangement of the girders, provided the central wing of the wheel-carry ing member extends in between the ends of the parallel girders and is of greater depth than the depth of the girders, the said girders being riveted through their webs to the said central wing.

To still further strengthen the connection between the ends of the parallel girders forming the bed and the central wings of the wheel-carrying members, I form upon each side of each wing 3 upper and lower ribs 6 7, these ribs projecting outward and passing above and below the girders. These ribs 6 7 are formed in the example shown homogeneous with the wing 3.

A seat for the springs of the vehicle may be iixed upon either end of the bed adjacent to or as near as convenient the ilanges of the barrels. As is illustrated, I may form or t the wing with an extension 8, to which the spring may be affixed or to which the seating for the spring may be affixed. l/Vith this construction of bed its members 4 5 may, as is shown at Fig. 4, be distanced apart centrally of their length, which not only increases the strength of the bed transversely, but also serves, when required, to enable bolts, sockets, distance-pieces, or other fixtures to be received between the said members 4 5.

Obviously it is not necessary that the bar- 4rel should extend coaxial vrdth the central longitudinal axis of the bed, because the iiange of the barrel or the back of a fork or boss may be made to extend above or below the axis of the bed and the central web described for the attachment of the girders be formed near one of the ends of the said flange, and so an upwardly or downwardly cranked axle be produced.

What I claim as my invention, andidesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a built-up axle for the wheels of road-vehicles; the combination with a bed composed of two girders arranged side by side but a little distance apart with their we bs vertical and flanges horizontal; oi a Wheelcarrying member for each end of said bed, a central vertical wing extending inwardly from each wheel-carrying member, said wing being greater in depth than the depth of said girders and adapted to pass in between the ends of said two girders, and means for attaching the girders to the central wing.

2. In a built-up axle for the wheels of road-vehicles; the combination with a bed composed of two girders arranged side by side but a little distance apart with their webs vertical and flanges horizontal 5 of a wheel-carrying member for each end of said bed, a central vertical wing extending inwardly Jfrom each 'wheel-carrying member,4

said wing being greater in depth than the depth of said girders, and adapted to pass in between the ends of said two girders, and rivets passing through the webs 01"' the girders and through the central wing.

3. In a built-up axle for the wheels of road-vehicles; the combination with a bed composed of two girders arranged side by side but a little distance apart with their webs vertical and flanges horizontal; of a wheel-carrying member for each end of said bed, a central vertical wing extending inwardly from each wheel-carrying member, said wing being greater in depth than the depth of said girders and adapted to pass in between the ends of said girders, longitudinally-extending projecting ribs on each side of said wing to pass above and below said girders, and rivets passing through the webs of the girders and through the central wing.

4. In a "built-up axle for the wheels of road-vehicles, the combination with a bed composed of two girders arranged side by side but a little distance apart with their webs vertical and flanges horizontal; of a wheel-carrying member for each end of said bed, each member having an inner face to contact with the end of the bed and extending above and below the upper and lower surfaces of same, a central vertical wing extending inwardly fromeach wheel-carrying member, said wing being greater in depth than the depth of the said girders and adapted to pass in between the ends of said girders, and rivets passing through the webs of the girders and through the central wing.

5. In a built-up7 axle Jfor the wheels of road-vehicles; the combination with a bed composed of two girders arranged side by side but a little distance apart with their webs vertical and flanges horizontal of a wheel-carrying member Jfor each end of said bed, each member having an inner face to contact with the end of the bed and extending above and below the upper and lower surfaces of same, a central vertical wing extending inwardly from each wheel-carrying member, said wing being greater in depth than the depth of said girders and adapted to pass in between the ends of said two girders, longitudinally-extending projecting ribs on each side of said wing to pass above and below said girders, and rivets passing through the webs of the girders and through the central wing.

6. In a built-up axle for the wheels of road-vehicles; the combination with a bed composed of two channel-section girders arranged with their webs bacl to back but not in contact with each other and with the langes horizontal and outstanding; of a wheel-carrying member for each end of said bed, a central vertical wing extending inwardly from each wheel-carrying member, said wing being greater in depth than the depth of said girders and adapted to pass in between and in contact with the adjacent IOO ITO

IIS

backs ci the two girders, and rivets passing through the webs of the girders and through the central wing substantially as set forth.

7.' In a built-up axle for the wheels of road-vehicles, the combination with a bed composed of two channel-section girders arranged with their webs back to back but not in contact with each other and with the llanges horizontal and outstanding; of a wheel-carrying member for each end of said bed, a central vertical wing extending inwardly from each wheel-carrying member, said wing being greater in depth than the depth of said girders and adapted to pass in between and in contact with the adjacent backs of the two girders, longitudinally-extending projecting ribs on each side of each wing to pass above and below said girders,

and rivets passing through the webs of the girders and through the central wing substantially as set forth.

8A In a built-up axle for the wheels of loadwehicles; the combination of a bed composed of two girders arranged side by side but not in contact with each other at the ends and splayed apart at the center of their length with the flanges horizontal and outstanding, a wheel-carrying member for each end of said bed, a central vertical wing eX- tending inwardly from each wheel-carrying member, said wing being greater in depth than the depth ol" said gir-ders and adapted to pass in between the ends of said girders, and rivets passing through the webs of the girders and through the central wing substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

HUGH MYDDLETON BUTLER. I/Vitnesses:

JOHN JowETT, VANoE E. GALLowAY. 

